Kiwis almost capsize in Cup loss to Oracle

By Bernie Wilson

AP Sports Writer

POSTED: 4:56 p.m. HST, Sep 14, 2013

ASSOCIATED PRESS

In this photo provided by the America's Cup Event Authority, Emirates Team New Zealand, left, nearly capsizes alongside Oracle Team USA, right, while heading for the windward marks during the eighth race of the America's Cup sailing event today in San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO >> For
five heart-stopping seconds, Emirates Team New Zealand's 72-foot
catamaran hung on the edge of catastrophe in the middle of an America's
Cup race on San Francisco Bay.

The normally spot-on Kiwis rushed a
tack during a close-quarters duel with defending champion Oracle Team
USA and couldn't get their 131-foot wing sail to pop through to the
correct side. The big black-and-red cat began to tip over, its starboard
hull rising high into the air.

Skipper Dean Barker didn't know quite where the point of no return was.

"But I'd say half a degree more would have been the number," Barker said.

The
boat paused and then the airborne hull splashed down, to the relief of
both crews. Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill skillfully steered
clear of the Kiwi boat and sailed on to a 52-second victory in Race 8
that might be a tipping point, in more ways than one.

It was just
the second victory of the series for the American syndicate, which has
now erased the two-point penalty it was assessed in the biggest cheating
scandal in the 162-year-history of the America's Cup.

Team New
Zealand leads 6-0 and still needs three wins to take the oldest trophy
in international sports to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Oracle
Team USA, owned by software billionaire Larry Ellison, needs to win nine
races to keep the Auld Mug.

Race 9 was abandoned just as the
boats turned onto the windward third leg with New Zealand in the lead.
That's because the wind had exceeded the 22.6-knot limit during a
five-minute period.

Races 9 and 10 are scheduled for Sunday.

After
two demoralizing defeats Thursday, Oracle Team USA made several changes
to its black cat and sailed much better upwind, which is where they'd
been getting stomped by the Kiwis.

"Mate, it is on," Spithill
said. "This is the turning point. We've been saying it all along, that
we can win races. It really felt the last few days that the Kiwis have
been thinking about where to put the trophy and I can tell you we're
going to fight the whole way."

Spithill, an Australian who was at
the wheel when Oracle capsized its first boat during a training run in
October, was relieved that the Kiwis didn't go over as the cats
zigzagged toward the Golden Gate Bridge.

"Look, it was close to
being a huge pileup. It would have been serious if I weren't able to
bail out. " Spithill said. "You never like to see that. I've got a lot
of mates on that team. I was looking at my mate Glenn Ashby up there and
was thinking, 'Oh God, I hope those guys are going to be all right.'
For us, we were glad they didn't go over."

Barker said the crew
tried to tack a split second too soon. It was another reminder of how
dangerous the new boats can be when they're pushed to the limits.

"I
think we had someone looking down on us giving us a little help,"
Barker said. "I think that's as close as you can ever possibly get
before it would have ended up over on its side."

The regatta was
marred by the death of British double Olympic medalist Andrew "Bart"
Simpson on May 9 when Artemis Racing capsized during a training run.

Oracle
Team USA's first catamaran capsized on a rough day on the bay in
mid-October. An ebb tide swept the boat out past the Golden Gate Bridge,
and the churning waves destroyed the complex wing sail. That cost the
syndicate about four months of training time, one of many reasons why
Oracle has struggled against the Kiwis.

If there is a capsize
during competition, the race would be canceled so that both yachts'
chase boats can aid in recovery efforts. Those boats carry divers and
paramedics. After Simpson was trapped under Artemis' smashed boat,
sailors began wearing body armor, knives, emergency air supplies,
underwater locator devices and self-lowering equipment to go with the
crash helmets and life vests they already wore.

Had the boat
capsized and been seriously damaged it could have been catastrophic for
the Kiwis. They have another boat, but it was cannibalized for parts to
finish their current boat. Oracle Team USA had another race-ready boat
in its shed on Pier 80.

With the Kiwis on port tack and Oracle on
starboard, Team New Zealand tried a lee-bow, quickly tacking back onto
starboard to try to force the Americans away.

The wing sail
doesn't blow through during a tack but has to be pumped through by the
grinders who power the hydraulic system. They didn't have time to do it
after tactician Ray Davies quickly called for the tack and the wing was
in the wrong articulation.

Three sailors were on the starboard
hull as it rose in the air. The other eight, including Barker, were on
the port hull. Someone on the boat was hollering "Hydro, hydro."

"I
was thinking, 'Oh, this is not too bad of an exit from here,' " Barker
said. "I was on the right side. It was a scary thought for the guys on
the other side because it definitely would be a long way up. It's racing
in these boats. They are powerful and you've got to sail them well.
We're at the top end of wind range today and you've got to make sure you
are error-free around the course. We made one mistake and it cost us
the race, but it also came very, very close to costing us a lot more
than that."

The Kiwis kept grinding and got the wing to pop the right way.

That
encounter that led to the near-capsize was set up because Oracle
tactician Ben Ainslie decided to split away from the Kiwis after
rounding the second gate mark 8 seconds behind. Ainslie, a British star
who has four Olympic gold medals and one silver, replaced John Kostecki
on Thursday.

Because the American boat was coming in on favored
starboard tack, Team New Zealand was penalized. The near-capsize had
already done in the Kiwis, and slowing to clear the penalty allowed
Oracle to sail well ahead.

By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the TERMS OF SERVICE. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. Because only subscribers are allowed to comment, we have your personal information and are able to contact you. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. To report comments that you believe do not follow our guidelines, email commentfeedback@staradvertiser.com.